Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place corn bread cubes in 1 large baking pan or 2 small ones and bake until bread is just toasted and golden, about 6 minutes. Set aside in a large bowl.

Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Cook sausage in a 4- to 6-quart Dutch oven over high heat, breaking into small pieces with a spoon until cooked through. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to bowl with corn bread. Sauté onions, celery, sage, and salt in sausage fat in pot, stirring and scraping up browned bits on bottom (if pot becomes dry, add butter, a tablespoon at a time), until onions are translucent, about 6 minutes.

Pour broth into pot, bring to a simmer, add pears, and cook until pears are softened but still whole, about 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl and toss gently with bread and sausage to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, whisk eggs and pour over bread mixture. Toss to distribute. Butter a 13- by 9-inch baking dish (or a square 9-inch baking dish, if you plan to stuff a 14- to 16-pound turkey).

Transfer mixture to dish and bake, uncovered, until crusty and browned on top, about 40 minutes. (If stuffing a 14- to 16-pound turkey, stuff main cavity loosely with about 3 cups and neck cavity with about 1 cup stuffing.) Roast as directed. Stuffing inside turkey should be cooked to a temperature of 165°F; if turkey is done before stuffing, transfer stuffing from turkey to a buttered baking dish and bake at 350°F until it reaches 165°F.